Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

Goodreads Blurb

Cast into the shadows by her parents, Bailey has embraced her inner rebel.  After being forced to sign a contract with music executives, promising not to play music, Bailey is done being good.  Julie and Bailey had always been best friends and sisters; this relationship changed when Julie was signed as a soloist.  Bailey now only plays her fiddle at the mall, feeling empty and disappointed.  This is where she meets Sam.  Samis a  good looking and talented musician who wants Bailey to join his band.  As much as Bailey loves playing with Sam’s band and being with him, she is not sure if she should try to re-enter the music industry.  Bailey does not want to make the same mistakes twice.

    Dirty Little Secret is not an easy book to put down.  Although Bailey has made bad choices, she is not a bad person at all.  Bailey is brave and has a good heart.  Her recent slew of rash decisions are the result of her awful parents and betrayal.  As pages turn, Bailey matures and faces her fears, becoming an adult.  I was impressed by Jennifer Echols’  ability to show Bailey growing as a person without hitting the reader over the head with it.  She is a great writer and hints subtly, letting the reader follow Bailey’s journey.  

    Any teen who likes music or has felt disappointed by family can relate to Bailey.  Echols’ use of music language and business speech adds to the flavor of the book and would draw high school age readers and young adults into Dirty Little Secret.  

4 Stars

*Reviewed by Kristin*

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